If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Can you lounge in a bridge too? Or do the sides come up to high for that? You could probably remove the spreader bars for that, but would that make the bridge less stable?

I find it really comfortable to lounge, sitting in the middle with my legs inside the hammock, folded in front of me. I get a lot more back support from this style of lounging than the equivalent in a whipped end hammock.

I find it really comfortable to lounge, sitting in the middle with my legs inside the hammock, folded in front of me. I get a lot more back support from this style of lounging than the equivalent in a whipped end hammock.

Grizz

So in other words it's more comfortable for the back, but you can't dangle the legs. I like to add a little swing action with my legs when lounging, which is my primary reason to not go towards a HH.

Would it be possible to tip the hammock back a bit to sit on the side for the same effect? Or would that stress out the spreader bars and stitching?

absolutely. I sit in mine. Its a great way to face the fire and share comraderie with your buddies. I can also sit in mine using the end as a back support while I "snuggle up" with a good book. The Jacks' bridge is where I got the basic design, and with the help of Grizz and others you shouldnt have a problem making all the necessary cuts to the fabric. Mine is an hourglass shape with a parobola curve that is 40" on the end tapering to 34" in the middle (finished size after sewing channels)
good luck and god speed on your endeavors. and btw, welcome to HammockForums!

I can sit in my basic bridge which uses webbing as the support. The DMB uses rope and I find that to be horribly uncomfortable to sit on. My spreaders are wooden dowels with metal bolts through although I am not at all interested in weight or portability since it is my wife's hammock and her distance from the car has be strictly limited by her own requirements for camping with me.

I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn

I bought the tent repair poles from QUEST in the .625 diameter. Others have used wood, swiffer handles, trekking poles and other stuff. Campmor sells the fly poles for the Eureka Timberline tents and those look like they would work too. I got the brown 1.9 ripstop from Ed Speer. 1" steel rings from Ace hardware. 3/4 webbing from Quest too.

So in other words it's more comfortable for the back, but you can't dangle the legs.

i have no discomfort with my end gathered hammocks, and i am very fond of their slight curvatures. i have a memory foam mattress on my bed that is quite good. good enough to where i can now sleep on my back for the most part (which was always impossible before this mattress), but i am always wishing i could incline the torso just a few inches like i experience in my hammock. i don't see laying perfectly flat as having an advantage, especially with regard to sleeping on your back. i think the thing with more flatness, is more comfort on your side, but there are trade offs. end gathered hammocks seem to have more room for side sleeping, but are less flat and some people experience hip torque when laying on your side with your legs straight out. bridges will generally feel flatter laying on your side with the legs straight and could be an advantage if you sleep that way alot. the bridges are quite narrow, some more than others, so there will be less room for laying on your side with your knees up for instance. (that's not to say there aren't bridges wide enough to sleep in the fetal position, but there's just not as much width for knees, elbows, etc.)

i have no discomfort with my end gathered hammocks, and i am very fond of their slight curvatures. i have a memory foam mattress on my bed that is quite good. good enough to where i can now sleep on my back for the most part (which was always impossible before this mattress), but i am always wishing i could incline the torso just a few inches like i experience in my hammock. i don't see laying perfectly flat as having an advantage, especially with regard to sleeping on your back. i think the thing with more flatness, is more comfort on your side, but there are trade offs. end gathered hammocks seem to have more room for side sleeping, but are less flat and some people experience hip torque when laying on your side with your legs straight out. bridges will generally feel flatter with the legs straight and could be an advantage if you sleep that way alot. the bridges are quite narrow, some more than others, so there will be less room for laying on your side with your knees up for instance. (that's not to say there aren't bridges wide enough to sleep in the fetal position, but there's just not as much width for knees, elbows, etc.)

I've tried always to be careful to say only that laying in a bridge hammock is different . Mine have always been wide enough for me to go fetal when I like, no issues. I sleep comfortably on my side in mine all the time.

BUT I do appreciate the slight curvature at the head end of gathered end hammocks. I can sleep on my back in those more comfortably than in my bed at home, and like doing so. The only problem is that curvature at the head usually means knee hyper-extension, but so long as I get something under my knees that's fine.

At the end of a long trail day the difference in comfort between gathered end hammock and bridge hammock is minuscule compared the difference between laying on the ground and hanging in just about any useable camping hammock.